This week the Telegraph is running a series of exclusive essays by expert commentators looking into Britain’s “hollow” armed forces.
Integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) is a hot topic across Nato just now. It isn’t, in fact, purely defensive: it is also an enabler for offensive operations and a deterrent. It’s probably one of the more vital Defence capabilities, given ongoing events across the world – most obviously the struggle for the skies above Ukraine, mass missile/drone strikes against Israel and the interdiction of the southern Red Sea by the Houthis.
As the UK has the fifth largest defence budget in the world (and the third biggest in Nato) one might expect that we would be strong in this area. Sadly, as is all too often the case, it’s not true.
When looking at IAMD it helps to break the threat into three. There are ballistic weapons (including nuclear), conventional missiles (air and subsurface launched) and drones. If one considers the likelihood of coming under attack from any of these during the post Cold-war era, you can see why IAMD wasn’t really catered for – the threat was very low. It’s very real now, however.
At the moment, all three services bring some capability to defeat some of these threats. The RAF has the Quick Reaction Alert fighter jets based at RAF Coningsby (QRA South) and RAF Lossiemouth (QRA North). These occasionally hit the headlines by rattling windows as they go supersonic en route to intercept suspect aircraft. These suspects are often Russian “Bear” bombers or maritime patrol planes, making incursions into the UK Air Defence Region (ADR). There is also the F-35B, the UK’s only fifth-generation stealth plane, operated jointly with the Royal Navy.
The RAF will also fly the E-7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft when it comes into service – at the moment the service has no airborne radar capability. For detecting planes, missiles or drones inbound to the UK we are reliant on the RAF’s network of ground radars. This is not ideal as radars down on the ground have a close horizon, below which low-flying drones or cruise missiles can hide. However there is a common Nato fleet of E-3 Sentry radar planes dedicated to the protection of the alliance from the east.
This week the Telegraph is running a series of exclusive essays by expert commentators looking into Britain’s “hollow” armed forces.
Integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) is a hot topic across Nato just now. It isn’t, in fact, purely defensive: it is also an enabler for offensive operations and a deterrent. It’s probably one of the more vital Defence capabilities, given ongoing events across the world – most obviously the struggle for the skies above Ukraine, mass missile/drone strikes against Israel and the interdiction of the southern Red Sea by the Houthis.
As the UK has the fifth largest defence budget in the world (and the third biggest in Nato) one might expect that we would be strong in this area. Sadly, as is all too often the case, it’s not true.
When looking at IAMD it helps to break the threat into three. There are ballistic weapons (including nuclear), conventional missiles (air and subsurface launched) and drones. If one considers the likelihood of coming under attack from any of these during the post Cold-war era, you can see why IAMD wasn’t really catered for – the threat was very low. It’s very real now, however.
At the moment, all three services bring some capability to defeat some of these threats. The RAF has the Quick Reaction Alert fighter jets based at RAF Coningsby (QRA South) and RAF Lossiemouth (QRA North). These occasionally hit the headlines by rattling windows as they go supersonic en route to intercept suspect aircraft. These suspects are often Russian “Bear” bombers or maritime patrol planes, making incursions into the UK Air Defence Region (ADR). There is also the F-35B, the UK’s only fifth-generation stealth plane, operated jointly with the Royal Navy.
The RAF will also fly the E-7 Wedgetail early warning aircraft when it comes into service – at the moment the service has no airborne radar capability. For detecting planes, missiles or drones inbound to the UK we are reliant on the RAF’s network of ground radars. This is not ideal as radars down on the ground have a close horizon, below which low-flying drones or cruise missiles can hide. However there is a common Nato fleet of E-3 Sentry radar planes dedicated to the protection of the alliance from the east.